Balmoral Show

After weeks and weeks of rain and generally bad weather, the sun finally came out for the 2024 Balmoral Show.  This is the first of the major shows in the calendar for the Bluefaced Leicester’s and our judging took place on Thursday 16^th May.

Our Judge this year was renowned stockman Mr Robert Loughridge from the Orravale flock, based in Ballymoney.  Entry numbers were down on last year mainly due to the inclement weather and the late spring, but still plenty of quality sheep were forward with the females catching the eye of the judge to take the top honours this year.

Robert found his overall champion in the last class of the day, the ewe lamb class. This was for an eye-catching homebred ewe lamb from the Mistyburn flock of Ian Montgomery, she is sired by the £35,000 Giants Causeway Armani out of a Midlock iceman daughter. This was her first time in the show ring and Ian hopes to show her again at a couple of his local shows throughout the Summer, she will be retained in the Mistyburn flock.  Ian also went on to have success in the pairs class taking the red rosette.

Reserve overall champion was awarded to the first prize shearling ewe 3920/S027 exhibited by Charles & Andrew Kennedy, Mileview she was bred by B Blaney, Tievebuaile Farm and was purchased by the Kennedy’s at the Ballymena female sale in January this year.  Her sire is 4465/R054 Lakeview Farm out of a Tievebuaile Farm dam 3920/M033 and she will be retained in the Mileview flock.

Taking the red rosette in the aged ewe class with a homebred ewe 4373/P041 was Hugh Henry, Starbog she was sired by 4346/N001 Dawyck ‘Frank the Tank’ who has bred exceptionally well throughout the flock, her dam is 3331/L032 Cottage.  Hugh also took first prize in the shearling ram class this was with a Mistyburn bred ram 4691/S008 sired by 4358/R001 Beeches Wingman which Hugh purchased at the Ballymena ram sale last September. Hugh went on to take the  first prize ticket with the best group of three.

For one exhibitor this will be a show he will remember for a long time, taking the first prize in the ram lamb class was first time exhibitor at Balmoral Show Jack O’Neill, Bluebell Wood Farm, this was with a homebred lamb sired by the £12,000 Knockstacken, his dam is 4456/P057 Giants Causeway who is bred by Yore House Maverick 790/M001.  This will be the one and only outing for the lamb on the show circuit this year and Jack will be bringing him out for sale later in the year at the Ballymena Premier Sale in September